Happily ever after

Yesterday I was one of the lucky ones who got to attend my friends Benjamin and Miia's wedding!

It was a lovely day, and despite not catching more than two actual photos of the happy couple, I'd like to share some snippets of it with you.

I got to wear my grandmother's old dress and my great grandmother's necklace for the occasion. I ADORE this dress. The fabric is such a dream.

Friendly feet. ♥

Me and Mako went for matching looks, something that earned us compliments like being compared to Alfons Mucha's painting and greek godesses. I couldn't be more pleased, since Mucha's art style is one of my favorites.

The bride and groom. ♥

Silliest of friends. ♥

Me and the other three ladies who snuck away to take some outfit photos before the party really started. We felt a little narcissistic at first, but then we realized just how seldom we get to doll up to this extent and dropped that thought. ♥

It was a rather lovely day, and I put my camera down after lunch to just enjoy myself freely. The cereminy itself was held outside in the light of torches, and it was all quite perfect.Best wishes to my dear friends, may you be happy for as long as you live. ♥

Until next time! ♥

Sakura sisters

I was in Stockholm for almost a week, settling some life business, and of course, when in the same city, there's twinning to be done for me and Jözz!Best thing about me and Jözz twinning is the confused looks we get. I actually had a moment of confusion myself when Jözz got stuck at red light across the street, and I felt like I was looking at my own reflection.

Look at this cute little dorkfaced butt. ♥

Many people have confused us as a couple, and I'm just going to go ahead and stomp that notion right out since both me and Jözz are in other relationships. We just happen to love each other a lot in all the other ways. Confusing, I know. Bottom line: not in love, not into each other. Bam.

How do you measure, measure a year?

In daylights, in sunsetsIn midnights, in cups of coffeeIn inches, in miles, in laughter, in strifeIn five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutesHow do you measure, a year in the life?How about love?

- Season of Love, Rent

I'm totally super late about this. Like, more than two months late. But me and Mako celebrated a year together in February, and she got us these gorgeous portraits from one of my favorite artists as a anniversary gift.The sounds I made when I saw them for the first time was not human. I adore them so much, and I can't believe how lucky I am to have someone who knows me well enough to do something like this for me.

So it's a little late, but I really just wanted to show the portraits off, ok?I have a perfect partner. ♥

Until next time! ♥

April fools and silly violets

I loved violet flavored candies as a kid, but then I totally forgot about it growing up.However, C came along in my life and reminded me of it, and now we share a common love for anything with violets. So when I found a licorice/violets flavored chocolate on my last trip to Stockholm I knew we needed it.So she came over for coffee and violets in the early spring sun, and we fooled around with violet flowers and I spilled coffee all over myself (not that warm luckily!).Great afternoon in great company.

Also look at my new cute phone case! (yes my phone is terribly cracked, I have a very bad case of butterfingers....) It's princess Bubbelgum and Marceline the vampire queen from Adventure Time, in Sailor Moon outfits! I actually got it for my friend about a year ago, but she changed her phone and couldn't use it anymore, so I adopted it back haha. Recycling! ♥

Bonus selfie! So happy to have this widdle squid back in my life! She sucks for leaving for Thailand for ages just after coming back, boo.

Since I've been so busy I've been piling up on a lot of things to blog about, so expect a lot of updates soon!

Until next time! ♥

Dreampotion

What's more fitting than to blog about my last trip to Stockholm whilst on the train there for my next trip?

I finally got around to go and see the Blue Potion Café that my friends work at!It's a lovely little café, located inside one of Webhallen's stores in Stockholm. My friends work there in cosplay, and the interior of the café is overflowing with all things nerdy and video games. ♥

Cutiepies in action! I got to pick out Joss (left) costume for the day, and I picked Junko from Dangan Rompa in her megane persona because loooook at thaaaat. Darling Elvina wore her Anastasia costume. ♥

Look at that staff. The charm, the grace.

Cute mugs, painted by another employee! ♥

I had a twinkie for the first time in my life, and was so disappointed. It was nothing special at all if you ask me..

The bathroom is Super Mario decorated! It was so cool! I didn't get any good photos inside though since it was way dark, but hopefully I'll get more opportunities.

Zelda coffee and watermelon ramune(Japanese soda).

I went there twice during my stay, and on the second day we had a small celebration for Joss, since it was her birthday! Happy birthday you big bad nerd. ♥

I really liked Blue Potion Café.Coffee, staff, atmosphere and interior was 12/10! I could kill for a job quite like it, it's such a dream! Too bad I know and like the current staff too much..

Until next time! ♥

J-popcon got me good

Just a week ago, me and Mako sat down on a bus to Kopenhagen and J-popcon!It was my first time at a Danish convention - and I was not disappointed! Wow!One of the main reasons for me to want to go is because my friend Mie is heading to Japan for half a year soon, and I wanted a chance to hang out and watch her and amazing Kami perform with their beautiful Rose Of Versailles costumes.Spoler alert: they won!! They qualified to represent Scandinavia at China International Cartoon and Animation Festival. How cool is that?! ♥

First day at the con got rather brief for me and Mako.We were dead tired, but we non the less crammed ourselves into our Renai Idenshi XX costumes - that we finished to wear for Jpopcon!I still have a couple of things that I want to take apart and make better for the next time I wear Sakura, but I'm still happy it came together.Actually, just as we had gotten everything on and entered the convention, a girl recognized us as Sakura and Aoi! Renai Idenshi being a super shady manga very few have heard of - even less so have read - we were super happy and surprised! ♥Second day was Big Hero 6 day! I whisked Mako down to our hostel's super nice breakfast before 8 o'clock, and then off we went! Honey Lemon and Gogo Tomago were the new costumes that me and Mako put together and wore for J-popcon. At the con we met up with my friend Mir from Norway, he'd made Hiro Hamada's battlesuit, he looked so cute and cool. Our little group got so much appreciation and love, it was crazy! ♥

Me standing up on my super high stiletto heels vs me bending down to selfie with my crew. If nothing else, my height was pretty damn on point for Honey.One of the guests at the con was J.Hart Design! I have so much respect for him and his craft. We went to see his lectures on fabrics and pattern alterations, so inspirational and educational. When I afterwards asked him about the rhinestones he had on his Sakizou Opal costume (above to the right), not only did he tell me what kind, but he also told me why he had choosen them instead of swarovski crystal and what difference there was. Such a kind and generous spirit! ♥Me with super amazing Mie in her flawless Oscar to the left, waiting for the results of the competition, and me in Sheryl Nome's (aka Ilona cosplay and ultimate cosplay mom of Desucon Finland) lap to the right!Third day was Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki kun day, and also departure-day! I was so cold during this day. Which might be one of the reasons as to why I'm dead down with the flu as I'm writing.

Once the con was over, we went and had an amazing dinner with most of our new friends before sitting down on our bus, filled with inspiration and happy memories from a great weekend in Denmark. ♥10/10 will go again!

Now I'm going to go and return to my fever induced hibernation, and hope that I'll wake up feeling better than I do right now.

Until next time! ♥c

Happy Valentines Day!

Are you celebrating Valentines Day? ♥Yes, yes, I know, Valentines Day has been pushed forward by companies wanting to sell cards and chocolate and flowers and ugly stuffed animals and yadiyadiya, but I've always been a fan of it!Even though I think that it's important to show your loved ones that you care every day - let's face it - life doesn't always allow it.That's why Valentines Day is important to me. Either I've been single or in a relationship, I always want to take some time and express my love and caring towards the important people in my life. ♥

This year, I stumbled upon this cute tutorial, and I wanted to make one for Mako - but in spirit of Valentine's day!We recently watched Big Hero 6, and since we LOVED it and Baymax is the cutest thing I've seen in a long time, I decided to take some inspiration from his downloading of data and then quoting it out loud - since I felt it fit the card perfectly!

I changed the top border to red, and put pixel hearts where the loading bar used to be for a cuter touch. ♥

I think it came out rather cute!

Either you celebrate it or not, I'd like to wish you a very happy Valentines Day, and send you my love for reading my blog.

Until next time! ♥

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

I had my (hopefully!!!) last Japanese exam last week, and after it I popped by Sanna's new apartment to check it out - it looked sooo nice! I'm super jealous, haha.Sanna also helped me to take some outfit photos, thank you. ♥

I wore a new wig that I've gotten for my Sakizou Coffee lady cosplay, isn't it just perfect?! Being able to change my hair at will is so great. One of the many perks of my hobby!

I've really come to love this coat! I got a little 'meh' after buying it, but now I've warmed up to it and it's such a happy splash of color to my usual dark winter wardrobe. ♥

How I wish that we could get a little more stable weather. It doesn't matter how heavy the snowfall, it's always above 0°C so it melts right away. I just hope that I can have a shoot with Elsa in non-soppy snow before the winter season is over, I'm too scared to take the costume out when it can get wet and muddy.

My current favorite necklace from Topshop! I shortened the chain a bit since it didn't hang very pretty at it's original lenght, but now it's perfect as a lift for simpler outfits.

And would you look at this cute little guy that lives outside her apartment?! He's so adorable! These kind of tacky cute decorations (in moderate doses) lift my spirits so much ♥

How's the weather where you're at?

Until next time! ♥

Happy Birthday Haruka ♥

Today is the fictional character Haruka Tenoh's birthday.She is one of the Outer Sailor Soldiers in the 90's manga and anime Sailor Moon.

Not only is haruka described as exceedingly good at everything she does - but she also openly questions the importance of gender(in a 90's manga from Japan. Let me just put that out there.), gets mistaken for a gorgeous young man by the other main girls(who still harbor crushes on her even after learning about her gender) without being offended by it, competes in motor sports with and against men and lives together with another Sailor Senshi named Michiru. The two of them are so close and couple-like in the anime that in the American dub, they felt it necessarily to make them appear as cousins. (No homo? yes homo.)

Imagine the awkward and weird situations that choice made, since they're very romantic towards one another. At one time, when Michiru jokes about Haruka gaining weight she returns it with "I don't want to hear that talk outside of bed.", and another time she tells her that she wants her to "touch her gently.". Michiru also jokingly(?) threatens Haruka's life if she ever looks at another woman again at one time.But hey, if thinking that they're cousins make you feel better - by all means, the joke is on you.

The point is that I really love her, she has inspired me and helped my self confidence to grow more than once. I've cosplayed her several times already, here's some of my best shots from each and every time I've tried to impersonate her.

Photo and edit by fashionsquid.My first go at her was in 2011, when I stayed in Japan for exchange studies - and it was an utter disaster. My sewing machine broke down in the middle of the night before the event - not that 16 year old me had any idea what I was doing any way, but let's just say it made it worse - and the wig was a spare one my friend Asuka chopped away at for maybe 20 minutes.

Photo and edit by fashionsquid.By 2012 I was back in Sweden, and I'd gotten my dear friend Nana to join the Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune love-train. She's my gorgeous Michiru ever since.

Photo and edit by fashionsquid. Sailor Uranus is Sayariin. Sailor Neptune by TheSnowChild, Tsukino Usagi by Himawarl, Michiru Kaioh by Nana.I remember being SO nervous about this shoot. I didn't know Jözz at that time, and I thought her perfect and myself, well, not so much. But I really love the outcome of our twinning.

Photo and edit by fashionsquid.Also from 2012. This is my number one favorite photoshoot I've ever had until this day.

Photo and edit by Artano.2013. My wig was just horrid that day, and I was so tired and moody and in general not very good looking, but luckily that changed in ..

Photo and edit by Meji. Sailor Uranus cosplayer is Sayariin...2014! Last time I wore anthing Haruka was just about a year ago. And may I say that my wig, makeup and posing skills had improved drastically for that.

Now, at last, my Michiru has returned from a year in Japan, and I can't wait to make all our plans for my favorite cartoon lesbians come true. Bottom line: Happy birthday, and thank you, Naoko Takeuchi, for creating such an iconic lady. ♥

Until next time! ♥

Hi, I'm Olivia. I live in Sweden, I like peanut butter anything, music, cosplay, japanese popculture, fashion and fun.